In Hesiod’s account, Prometheus warned Epimetheus not to accept gifts from Zeus.
The warning appears in the story surrounding Pandora’s arrival. Prometheus, whose name means “forethought,” understood that Zeus intended trouble for humanity after Prometheus had stolen fire for mortals. He therefore advised his brother Epimetheus, whose name means “afterthought,” to reject gifts from Zeus.
Epimetheus ignored the warning when Pandora arrived. Hesiod’s story uses the brothers’ contrasting names to reinforce the moral: foresight recognizes danger, while hindsight comes only after an event has happened. Pandora’s acceptance into Epimetheus’s household leads to the opening of the container that releases evils into the world.
This detail is sometimes omitted from modern summaries, which focus only on Pandora and the box. It also explains why Prometheus is connected to the story even though he does not open the container himself. Hesiod’s account presents the episode as part of Zeus’s punishment of humanity for the theft of fire.